In a perfect world, energy simulations and design tools would be so well integrated that each time an architect moved a wall, added a window, or changed a lighting specification, the building's predicted energy performance would be updated and displayed instantly. With that sort of real-time feedback, designers would quickly become skilled at optimizing the energy performance of their designs, and new buildings would be rapidly approaching carbon neutrality.
Along the way, other aspects of a building, such as how well it uses daylight, how procuring its material will affect the planet, and even how much it will cost to build, could be similarly tracked and optimized. And all of this would be done while sharing a design seamlessly across disciplines.
That world has not yet arrived, and the path to it is strewn with obstacles. But in some settings it is becoming tantalizingly close, thanks to the convergence of data-rich, three-dimensional design tools, ever-faster computers, and accepted protocols for sharing digital information about buildings across platforms.
To read the rest of this article, please visit BuildingGreen.com